Effects of climate and environment on migratory old people with allergic diseases in China: Protocol for a Sanya cohort study

BACKGROUND: Several studies have reported that the mountain climate can alleviate asthma, however, the effect of tropical climate on migratory elderly, especially in people with respiratory or allergic diseases is unknown. OBJECTIVES: This cohort study aims to explore impact of climate and environmental changes on allergic diseases in migratory old people. METHODS: In this prospective cohort study, we recruited 750 older migratory people, the majority of whom were homeowners to minimize the risk of loss to follow up. The study's inclusion criteria were elderly individuals had moved from northern China to Sanya and suffered from either asthma or allergic diseases. Prior to participation, these individuals provided informed consent and underwent baseline assessment. Subsequently, they will be followed for three years. A face-to-face interview was conducted to gather information regarding their living environment and habits. Trained investigators administered the questionnaires and performed physical examinations including height, weight, and blood pressure, while a professional respiratory doctor conducted pulmonary function tests. Blood samples were promptly tested routine blood test, liver function, kidney function, glucose, triglyceride, allergens, and inflammatory factors. Climate and environmental data were obtained from Sanya Meteorological Bureau and Ecological Environment Bureau, respectively. We primarily compared the differences of participants with asthma or allergic diseases between northern China and Sanya in southern China by Chi-square test, t-test or Wilcoxon rank-sum test. FINDINGS: A total of 750 participants were recruited in this cohort from fourteen communities. All participants were surveyed questionnaires about health and family environment, underwent physical examinations, and collected biological samples for laboratory examinations. NOVELTY: This is the first study to evaluate the effects of tropical climate and environment on elderly migrants from cold regions. This study has important implication for the health tourism and aging health, especially for the elderly migrants who suffered the respiratory and allergic diseases. Furthermore, this cohort study establishes a solid foundation for investigating the influence of environmental changes on elderly migrants with allergic diseases.